Changes to your appearance are one of the biggest indicators when it comes to signaling health issues, with major diseases such as lupus, diabetes, and cancer first showing through specific differences in your physical appearance.
To ensure that you are able to stop these changes from having a big impact on your life, or if you are concerned about how to treat them, here are the top indicators of a wider health issue within your physical appearance.
Hair Loss
Although you might associate hair loss with aging, hair loss can also warn you of much larger health problems, ranging from mental health issues, such as stress, to iron deficiencies, which can cause anemia.
As well as seeking treatment for your underlying health condition, if you are experiencing hair loss, or have been diagnosed with a condition that has started to cause hair loss, and this has started to damage your self-esteem, you should consider booking a hair transplant to help you to cope with your new appearance and to ensure that you can return to normal life.
Brittle or Discoloured Nails
Your nails are only as healthy as the rest of your body, and if they are starting to break easily or are looking discolored, this could be a sign of many issues that you need to seek professional advice for.
These issues include iron deficiencies, hypothyroidism, and Raynaud’s syndrome, all of which are particularly common as you get older. As well as changing your diet, you should also consider making your nails stronger by moisturizing them, protecting them by wearing gloves, and filing them often.
Rashes or Dry Skin
Rashes and dry skin are common indicators of larger health issues, and can cause you many problems if they are not treated.
Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis can cause rashes and dry, flaky skin, although you may also get these symptoms if you have kidney problems, Sjogren’s syndrome, or if you have diabetes.
Rashes may also be indicative of auto-immune diseases, such as lupus.
Acne
Acne is often associated with teenagers, and yet one in three people that have been diagnosed with the condition are adults. If you have always associated acne with teenage spots and puberty, you should think again.
Acne can be a major symptom of many medical conditions that are caused by hormonal issues, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as emotional issues, such as stress.
To treat acne, there are a variety of home remedies that you can use, as well as topical prescriptions and medications from your doctor.
Changes to Freckles or Moles
If you have noticed a change to the number of freckles or moles on your skin, or a mole or freckle has begun to expand or become an irregular shape, this may show that you are beginning to develop skin cancer, especially if they hurt or bleed.
However, you should be aware that moles and freckles can often change on their own accord, and this may be a completely natural process.
